Commento su Bava Metzia 2:11
אֲבֵדָתוֹ וַאֲבֵדַת אָבִיו, אֲבֵדָתוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת. אֲבֵדָתוֹ וַאֲבֵדַת רַבּוֹ, שֶׁלּוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת. אֲבֵדַת אָבִיו וַאֲבֵדַת רַבּוֹ, שֶׁל רַבּוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת, שֶׁאָבִיו הֱבִיאוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְרַבּוֹ שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ חָכְמָה מְבִיאוֹ לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְאִם אָבִיו חָכָם, שֶׁל אָבִיו קוֹדֶמֶת. הָיָה אָבִיו וְרַבּוֹ נוֹשְׂאִין מַשְּׂאוֹי, מֵנִיחַ אֶת שֶׁל רַבּוֹ. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵנִיחַ אֶת שֶׁל אָבִיו. הָיָה אָבִיו וְרַבּוֹ בְּבֵית הַשֶּׁבִי, פּוֹדֶה אֶת רַבּוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ פּוֹדֶה אֶת אָבִיו. וְאִם הָיָה אָבִיו חָכָם, פּוֹדֶה אֶת אָבִיו, וְאַחַר כָּךְ פּוֹדֶה אֶת רַבּוֹ:
La sua aveidah o la aveidah di suo padre — il suo oggetto perduto ha la precedenza, [essendo scritto (Deuteronomio 15: 4): "Ma non ci sarà in te un uomo povero" — Fai attenzione a non essere un povero. "] La sua aveidah e la aveidah del suo insegnante —la sua aveidah ha la precedenza. Aveidah di suo padre e aveidah del suo insegnante—il suo insegnante ha la precedenza [(Questo, se è il suo maestro principale, da cui ha imparato la maggior parte della sua saggezza. Allo stesso modo, ovunque "custode" sia menzionato nella nostra Mishnah come prioritario a "padre", è il suo maestro principale che si intende.)], poiché suo padre lo ha portato in questo mondo, ma il suo insegnante, che gli ha insegnato la saggezza, lo porta alla vita nel mondo a venire. E se suo padre era un saggio, suo padre ha la precedenza. Se suo padre e il suo insegnante stavano portando dei pesi, egli stabilisce prima il suo insegnante e poi quello di suo padre. Se suo padre e il suo insegnante sono stati catturati, riscatta prima il suo insegnante e poi suo padre. E se suo padre era un saggio, riscatta suo padre e poi questo insegnante.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If he found his father’s and his teacher’s, his teacher’s takes priority for his father brought him into this world, but his teacher who taught him wisdom brings him into the world to come. If his father was a Sage, his father’s takes priority.
If his father and teacher each were carrying a load, he must first relieve his teacher and afterward relieve his father.
If his father and teacher were each taken captive, he must first ransom his teacher and afterward his father. But if his father was a Sage, he must first ransom his father and afterward his teacher.
In the beginning of this mishnah we learn that one’s own financial loss takes priority even over that of a father or a teacher (of Torah). The Torah expects people to help others but it also understands that people have a natural desire to help themselves.
The remainder of the mishnah deals with conflicts between helping his father and helping his teacher. In all of them we learn that his teacher (one who teaches him Torah) takes priority. Through this mishnah we can see how much the Rabbis valued learning and Torah study. His father brings him into this world and for that the Torah commands that he respect and fear his father. However, the teacher brings him into the world to come, and this is a greater responsibility even then being a father. Therefore the teacher receives even more respect than the father. However, if his father is a Sage, meaning learned in Torah, he deserves greater respect from his son than does another teacher/Sage, and he therefore takes priority.